MATCH REPORT: Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Coventry City - Aaron Martin scores on return but City fall to a fourth consecutive loss

8 March 2016

Laura Hunter

Tony Mowbray's side fall to defeat, despite peppering the Shrewsbury Town goal throughout the 90-minutes...

Coventry City concede defeat at Greenhous Meadow as goals from Sullay Kaikai and Shuan Whalley are enough to give the home side a 2-1 win.

Aaron Martin netted for the Sky Blues early on, but Shrewsbury fired back with two first-half goals to give their hope of League One safety a further boost.

The Sky Blues began the night with a trio of changes from the weekend. James Maddison was afforded a rest, with Marc-Antoine Fortuné replacing the 19-year old in attack.

Baily Cargill was a forced change at centre-back after the injury sustained against Rochdale, as Aaron Martin filled the void at the heart of the City defence.

Ruben Lameiras dropped down to the bench and in came Norwich loanee, Jacob Murphy after making a bright contribution from the bench on Saturday.

Aaron Martin fired the Sky Blues in to an early lead with a poachers finish from 5-yards. John Fleck hit a speculative effort from 20-yards and it was the centre-half who was alive to the rebound, turning the ball home inside the opening five minutes.

Shrewsbury Town replied with a goal of their own in the 9th minute as smart play from Larnell Cole found Sully Kaikai in space. The Crystal Palace loanee took the ball around Reice Charles-Cook and slotted in to an empty net for his sixth goal of the season.

A lively game inside the first quarter at Greenhous Meadow saw both teams with plenty of goal-scoring opportunities. Chris Stokes could have put City ahead as a rebound from a John Fleck shot fell kindly for him inside the box. Next it was Fleck himself with an audacious effort as he tried to chip Mark Halstead from outside the box.

Just as City began gaining momentum, Shrewsbury took the lead. Ian Black floated a ball in to the City area from a free-kick and Shaun Whalley rose highest to nod home for his third goal in as many games.

City stopper, Reice Charles-Cook had to be alert on the halfway mark as Ian Black was involved again with driven a shot from 25-yards. Charles-Cook was equal to the effort and tipped over the crossbar for the last action of the first-half.

The first chance of the second-half fell to Shrewsbury as Kyle Vassell met Jack Grimmer’s cross from the right. The glancing header trickled wide, but signs of danger were yet to pass for City.

Charles-Cook was again in action shortly after, as a lively Whalley curled a shot goalward. It was tipped narrowly around the post and away for a corner, before Larnell Cole crafted a similar opportunity for himself.

Charles-Cook with a succession of diving saves for City to keep his side in the game, with an hour gone on the clock.

It was Adam Armstrong to try an assault on the Shrewsbury goal next as he whipped a free-kick in the direction of Mark Halstead. The effort beat the wall, but ended off-target as the ball flew in to the travelling Sky Blues’ fans in the stands.

The 70th minute mark saw the introduction of Ruben Lameiras and Darius Henderson, followed by James Maddison as Mowbray’s men searched for an equaliser.

The teenager slotted in to his usual no.10 role and injected some pace in to the City attack. Maddison began linking well with the front line, as Lameiras also looked bright on the ball.

A significant amount of pressure was soaked up by the Shrewsbury defence in the final ten minutes. Maddison came closest with a whipped free-kick from the left, which looked to have Halstead scrambling. A host of men in red threw themselves at the ball but couldn’t make the connection.

It finished 2-1 to the home side as Coventry City concede defeat for the fourth League One game in a row.